twencelas

Age 61 - Been doing cryptic crosswords since the early 1980's, started with the Sunday Times and then enjoyed them on a daily basis when the independent was launched. Over several years managed to get the hang of all the original Indie setters. Started attempting the Indie magazine crossword in the early nineties - took me a while to complete one, though - the use of all the squares luring the solver into thinking that its easier than it really is. Continued through the nineties and into this century with the Indie and the odd foray into the murkier world of the Listener - with little success, other than the numerical ones. Spent the last year or so concentrating on the thematics - can now complete most Listeners (tend to limit myself to a starting day and a having slept on it day, if needed), the high 90%'s of the Inquisitor (still my favourite) and Enigmatic Variations. Still have a daily fix of the Indie or Guardian and am pleased to see more and more themes used in the daily puzzles. One day hope to author some puzzles myself, though must admit to being in awe of the precise clueing of the top compilers.

Independent 7902 (Saturday Prize Puzzle 11th February 2012) by Tyrus

Sat February 18, 2012 at 12:10 am by twencelas

So Tyrus for me again – he seems to crop up about every 5 weeks in the Independent, as does my blog on 15×15. It goes without saying, that I enjoyed this immensely. … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations 1002 Simple Subtraction by Charybdis

Sat February 4, 2012 at 12:01 am by twencelas

So 10 unclued entries this week, and all in a “depleted” form. And either one or two letters have been added to some clues (whenever thematically possible) . All very cryptic – ah … Read more >>

Independent 7872 (Saturday Prize Puzzle 7th January 2012) by Nestor

Sat January 14, 2012 at 12:10 am by twencelas

Need some exercise for the new year – Nestor’s puzzle is certainly a good work out! As you would expect. So the first Saturday of 2012 brings us a Nestor puzzle, with some … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations 100003 Round Number by Nutmeg (Online 25/12/2011)

Sun January 8, 2012 at 12:45 pmSat January 7, 2012 at 12:01 am by twencelas

Well a crossword published on Christmas day and what a preamble! There are three conflicts to resolve symbolically (historic events). There are historic events to highlight in the completed grid There are 3 … Read more >>

Independent 7842 (Saturday Prize Puzzle 03/12/11) by Tyrus

Wed December 14, 2011 at 10:40 pmSat December 10, 2011 at 12:04 am by twencelas

How lucky am I – A Tyrus puzzle to blog again. Perhaps, it might be time to start possibly cogitating a few answers. So a theme word this week, which is needed to … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations 995 by Owzat

Sat December 10, 2011 at 12:01 am by twencelas

This week – straight clues, 5 unclued entries and elements from a quotation around the circumference. Sounds quite easy for an EV? And so it proved to be. Relatively simple clues (for an … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations 991 To Horse by MynoT

Sat November 12, 2011 at 7:21 pmSat November 12, 2011 at 12:01 am by twencelas

So some clues with extra letters this week, these will reveal a quotation and an anagram of the author. Then the other clues must be modified before entry. What can be so difficult … Read more >>

Independent 7812 by Tyrus (Saturday Prize Puzzle 29/10/2011)

Sat November 5, 2011 at 12:02 am by twencelas

Something topical from Tyrus, I’d bet. What theme will reveal itself in this puzzle, I wonder? I was n’t disappointed, there is a theme and it’s a political one. The thematic clues echoing … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations 987 Network by Syd Lexis

Sat October 15, 2011 at 12:02 am by twencelas

So three unclued entries and a connection between them (visible in the final grid). There are also 2 currently relevant words to find making a total of 54 letters to highlight. Now that’s … Read more >>

Independent 7782 by Nimrod (Saturday prize puzzle 24th September 2011)

Sun October 2, 2011 at 10:41 amSat October 1, 2011 at 12:05 am by twencelas

A good one for the pub on a Saturday afternoon, you might say. Certainly a drinking theme this week or more accurately a drinking to excess theme. Maybe a 17dn of what happens … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations 983 Lost and Found by Piccadilly

Sat September 17, 2011 at 12:01 am by twencelas

All clues are normal this week! Surely not in an EV – Ah but all answers are modified, that’s more like it and there are some blank squares to boot, exhibiting horizontal symmetry … Read more >>

Independent 7752 by Nestor (Saturday prize puzzle 20th August 2011)

Sat August 27, 2011 at 12:12 am by twencelas

A tricky one this week from Nestor, with a good use of different vocabulary to direct or mis-direct the solver. I found this quite a slog – an enjoyable 27 clues, picked off … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No 979 Problem by Salamanca

Sat August 20, 2011 at 12:01 am by twencelas

So some shaded squares this week to help define the problem and 6 clues to be entered in a non standard way to indicate the title. Other than that everything is straight forward. Is it … Read more >>

Independent 7722 by Tyrus (Saturday prize puzzle 16th July 2011)

Sat July 23, 2011 at 12:05 am by twencelas

What has Tyrus in store for us? A very topical puzzle indeed considering the antics of the gutter press and those who inhabit the gutters that the general public seem to find so … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No 975 58,91 by Syd Lexis

Sat July 23, 2011 at 12:01 am by twencelas

Well what a preamble – redundant letters spell out a phrase concerning one of the puzzle’s numbers. Then it entered the world of Edward Lear, in my opinion – I’ll save decoding its … Read more >>